Court upholds police officer's embezzlement conviction

(United States) A Providence police officer can be convicted of embezzlement for throwing away a minibike he confiscated -- even though the officer didn't profit from it.

That's what the Rhode Island Supreme Court decided today by upholding the conviction of John Lough.

According to prosecutors, Lough confiscated a minibike three years ago from a teenager because another officer suspected it was stolen. Police told the teen to come into the police station the following day with proof of ownership.

But instead of delivering the bike to headquarters, Lough left it behind a trash bin. He retrieved it the following day when the teen came to claim the bike. Lough also lied to police officials about how it was lost.

The judges say that by discarding the bike, Lough was treating it as his own property.